CT scan may be better at predicting heart disease than genetics, researchers say

CT scan may be better at predicting heart disease than genetics, report says

BOSTON - A common imaging scan may be better at gauging your risk for heart disease than your underlying genetics. This came as a surprise to researchers.

It's important to know who is at highest risk of heart disease so that measures can be taken to reduce that risk. Because heart disease runs in families, doctors were hoping that knowing a patient's genetics might be the key to identifying those at highest risk.

But a team at Northwestern University looked at more than 3,000 adults and compared their genetics to CT scans that look for coronary artery calcium which has been associated with blockages. They found that the CT scans were superior to genetics at predicting heart disease risk in middle-aged patients.

They said CT screening should be offered for middle-aged patients whose risk is unclear to identify those who could benefit from risk reduction like cholesterol-lowering medications or dietary changes.

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Heart Disease

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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